Since I suck at summarising my Camp NaNo WIP (which I really need to get better at woops) I decided to instead show some aesthetics and talk about my characters, because I can talk about my children all day. Plus I always struggle with whether or not I really know my characters or not, so I’d figure this would be a helpful exercise. And hopefully at the same time this will be fun for you guys to read? I hope? LET’S GO

THE WIP

Okay so if you’re new/never read any of my previous posts on this WIP/forgot, what is this about? I suck at summarising it, but in an earlier post I explained my WIP as the following:

‘Friendship, banter, food, karaoke, The Gay™, Dora the Explorer Discourse (I’m not even joking I really hope people will find this very very long scene as hilarious as I do lmao)’

Anyway it’s very light and fluffy though it tackles some more serious issues like anxiety, bullying and abusive parents too.

Here’s a general aesthetic of the WIP to hopefully make it less vague?

It doesn’t take place in Rome. Okay, it partially does, because they go there on a schooltrip, but it mostly takes place in a fictional town in The Netherlands which I still need to name (my antagonist is also still called [antagonist] hahaha rip)

THE CHARACTERS

Yong-sun An

💛 Is a blue cow
💛 Very organised
💛 Needs to plan everything
💛 Confused lil bean
💛 Wants to be a journalist but is scared his anxiety will get in the way
💛 Keeps a diary
💛 Prefers to write down his feelings rather than talk
💛 Will think about the worst possible scenario
💛 Tried to hide under a bed once but there was no room rip
💛 Is immune to Drew’s puppy eyes
💛 Loyal friend
💛 Worries about his grades all the time, no matter how well he did
💛 Blows everyone away with his vocals
💛 Boots from Dora the Explorer was his favourite
💛 Hides in bathrooms
💛 Is tired of All I Want For Christmas – there are other Christmas songs
💛 Is not best friends with Drew (except he is)
💛 Completely clueless: ‘He felt an odd sensation at reading the message, probably a new level of annoyance.’ ‘There was also a weird feeling in his stomach. Annoyance, he decided.’ Yeah, ANNOYANCE
💛 Has no idea what flirting even is

Andrew ‘Drew’ Lewis

💛 Don’t call him Andrew
💛 Is a lil shit but everyone loves him anyway
💛 Will come up with the stupidest ideas
💛 Thinks he’s cool
💛 But he’s not
💛 Wants to see the world and get away from his past
💛 His flirting is very uneffective pls help him
💛 Is not subtle at all
💛 Always hungry
💛 Takes food very seriously
💛 Sleeps with a bunny sleeping mask on his face
💛 Feelings haha what are those
💛 Original Mom Friend™
💛 ‘I’m gonna wing it’
💛 Will fight you
💛 Asks deep questions about pigeons
💛 Just because he can’t sing doesn’t mean he won’t sing
💛 He’s a growing boy
💛 Believes ‘please’ is an actual magic word
💛 Hates Boots from Dora the Explorer

Reyna Vélez

💛 Former student council president
💛 Loved by pretty much the entire school because she stands up for everyone and is genuinely friendly
💛 Wants to become a succesful director
💛 Vlogger
💛 Will fight you
💛 ‘Do it for the vine’
💛 Netherlands is not Germany dammit
💛 Ships her friends
💛 Will not accept help
💛 Actual Queen
💛 Will drag you out of your bed in the middle of the night for karaoke
💛 ‘Like my picture’
💛 Has a youtube channel where she covers social issues and movies, tv shows, documentaries etc and posts cute vlogs about her friends
💛 Will never make you do something you don’t want
💛 Always looks good in pictures
💛 Can’t stop, won’t stop
💛 Will throw you out of the group chat
💛 Doesn’t like showing people her weaknesses
💛 Changes the group chat’s name all the time
💛 Will make you take awkward pictures (but won’t post them if you don’t want her to)
💛 Would jump out of a plane without a parachute
💛 Most likely to embarrass you with her speech at your wedding

Hye-su Seung

💛 Too pure for this world
💛 Shy lil bean
💛 Unless you’re close to her
💛 Very observant
💛 Looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you
💛 Can’t even hurt a fly tho
💛 Forgives pretty easily
💛 Art hoe
💛 Doesn’t know what she wants to study because she wants to do all the art/theater things as long as it doesn’t put her in the spotlight
💛 Plays with her sleeves
💛 Don’t disrespect the Colosseum
💛 Will hit you if you disrespect the Art
💛 Second Mom Friend™
💛 Will pet a rock
💛 Always has good advice
💛 Paint. Paint everywhere. Behind nails, ears, eyelids, walls, windows. Everywhere
💛 Good listener
💛 Knows when you need a hug
💛 Biggest procrastinator of them all
💛 Stereotypical Hufflepuff
💛 Is sick of anxiety dictating her life

So that’s a short summary (meme??) of my kids! Turns out I know them pretty well, but I wonder if all of this is even in the WIP?? I know that Reyna being the previous student council president isn’t, because I came up with that not too long ago. But the other stuff?? I DON’T KNOW. I NEED TO EDIT. EXCEPT I WANT TO FINISH IT FIRST #writerproblems.

I hope that was interesting/fun to read? And hopefully that made my WIP less vague, at least a little bit haha. Can you relate to any of these characters? If you were to describe your characters in this way/as memes, how would you describe them? TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR KIDS

At all the sexist men who said women can’t play football, they wouldn’t even be able to beat amateurs etc etc… EXCUSE ME WERE WAS OUR NATIONAL MEN TEAM LAST YEAR OH YEAH NOT EVEN QUALIFIED

I was really tired and not feeling well this week, so most of the time I didn’t feel like reading. Until yesterday, when I suddenly made a lot of progress in Heroine Complex. I’ve read a lot today too, and maybe I’ll finish it tonight. Depends on whether I’d rather read or blog. While I don’t want to get too far into it until I’ve finished it, I’m really enjoying it!

In other reading news, I’ve been clearing my Goodreads to read shelf. There are quite a few books I have no longer any interest in, but also books that I have no idea why I added them in the first place? I don’t see past, present or future Michelle interested in these? I am confused, but also like a weight lifted off my shoulder with all those books gone *she says as she adds 10000 more books*

As I already mentioned, I was tired and not feeling so well. First I ran out of my hay fever medicine during the weekend, meaning I had to order them on Monday and didn’t have them until Tuesday. Cue not being able to breathe while walking even a few steps outside. Which really ruined my trip to Stedelijk Museum with my mom. Though the exhibition we went to (it was the last week and neither of us had seen it yet) was… really disappointing? Not our thing at all. I love photography, but I guess Rineke Dijkstra is not for me *shrugs*

I also had the brilliant idea to continue taking my birth control pill three months in a row, thus skipping two periods because I really wasn’t feeling it and now my body is punishing me. I’d say don’t be like me but I know people who do this all the time?? A friend of mine just continues to take the pill for six months, gets her period and then continues to take it for another six months. HOW. I AM IN PAIN. MY BODY IS CONFUSED

So basically I haven’t been doing much rip. BUT I’M SEEING A FRIEND TOMORROW SO I’M EXCITED

I’m also hoping to actually go out more this week but who am I kidding I’m not even on my period yet and I’m already suffering

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right? (Goodreads)

Becky Albertali has done it again. How does she manage to write such cute, fluffy, fun books, that are also important? I mean, I’m trying to do it myself with my current WIP, so I definitely look up to her.

Seriously though, The Upside of Unrequited is such a joy to read. My favourite thing about it is probably how diverse it is. Molly and her twin Cassie have two moms, of which one is black. They also have a little brother who’s also black (their white mom is their biological mom, while their black mom is their little brother’s biological mom), the family is Jewish, so is one of the love interests, Cassie is queer and of course so is her girlfriend Mina (to be specific she is pan), who is also Korean-American, Molly of course is fat and she also has anxiety (something I didn’t know going in) and there is so much diversity in the background too. Like one of Molly’s ex-crushes makes an appearance and he has a boyfriend. Also it basically starts on the day same-sex marriage is legalised which I absolutely loved.

Since I have anxiety myself, I was really thrilled to find out Molly has it too. Like I said in my Queens of Geek review anxiety is different for everyone, so of course there are differences between me and Molly, but I definitely related to her. Guys I’m so happy how many books are coming out lately with a protagonist who has anxiety (and they’re not necessarily about anxiety) – this is definitely a trend I don’t want to end (can we celebrate the end of abusive male love interests though)

Speaking of the end of abusive male love interests – I’ve noticed that this trend is dying out, especially because we’re getting such great male love interests lately. Of course they’ve always been there, but abusive male love interests are really popular in fiction (not just talking about books, tv and movies too) so I’m really happy to see less and less of them in books. Reid is such a cutie and he and Molly have great chemistry. I really hope this is the start of a new trend (as Jamie in Queens of Geek was a sweetheart too) and that abusive male love interests will be a rarity soon.

Another thing I loved was the focus on family. Molly and Cassie are very close, but throughout the novel they face some problems and Molly fears they’re growing apart. This was just as important to the plot as the love story and I feel like this is something a lot of people can relate to, though maybe with friends instead of family members.

The characters were all so much fun to read about. I loved all the little, quiet moments Molly had with her moms, where she confided in them and they were just there for her. My favourite moment is when one of them tells her that her getting a boyfriend at seventeen isn’t ‘late’, as Molly thinks and that it’s completely okay to not date in high school at all. I found this super important, since there’s a lot of focus on romance in fiction and media geared towards teens and a lot of them (me included, though I’m no longer a teen and I no longer feel that way) feel like there’s something wrong with them if they don’t date during this time.

I also loved that Molly is basically a Pinterest Queen™ and loves crafting. I feel like there aren’t many YA protagonists with that hobby? Or at least that I’ve read about so it was a joy to read.

Basically: lots of diversity, focus on family, healthy relationship(s) (while there’s mostly a focus on Molly and Reid, the relationship between Cassie and Mina and Molly and Cassie’s moms are healthy too), positive messages, cute and fun oh and a big gay wedding

Have you read The Upside of Unrequited yet? What did you think? Any more books with great male love interests that you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Also his flirting isn’t exactly working so maybe don’t follow his class

I can hear you guys think: ‘ghosts? But Michelle, I thought this was a regular contemporary?’ Yeah, there aren’t any real ghosts. Just two silly boys playing a prank ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Honestly this is my favourite scene in the entire book (for those of you not familiar, this is the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, or at least part of it)

Acceptance is the last step Yong-sun, I’m proud of you

Shout out to whoever’s guess as to what this is about is closest to the real thing

So Drew is getting war flashbacks from this horrible restaurant they went to in Rome and honestly, same. I mean, that scene was based on my own experience when I was there with school. I will never forget that pizza that looked like the disgusting cafeteria food from Ned’s Declassified Guide

So those are my snippets! I might post something else about my WIP next week, but I’m not sure yet. If you saw a typo or something in one of the snippets, please let me know!

How did you do on Camp NaNo? How is your writing going in general? Are you a blue cow? Let me know in the comments!

💛 My only reading goal is my Goodreads Challenge, which was originally 100 books, but since I completed that I changed it to 200. I’m now at 133 (ignore my widget I need to update it manually and I’m lazy)
💛 Okay so my first and most important writing goal was to just write, which I did this month! Yay me *claps*
💛 ‘Finish at least one of my WIPs’ well, I’m making progress on it?
💛 I changed my design a bit: new header, social icons, new photo, biography updated and with more emojis oh and this new yellow hearts instead of those dark blocks! So yay that’s one blogging goal completed. At least I won’t be a complete failure at the end of the year 🎉
💛 Another blogging goal was to blog more regularly again, which was definitely a succes this month. But we’ll see how the rest of the year goes haha
💛 I’m sort of caught up on reviews? At least I’m working on it
💛 Hahaha I’m not caught up on tags AT ALL
💛 I’m scheduling posts again so I’m on my way to become the Scheduling Queen again!
💛 I’m not as caught up on other people’s posts as I want to be, but I’m working on it
💛 And finally I have become more active in the blogosphere again!

The Artsy Hufflehoe is a feature on here (I’m not even going to bother and say monthly feature, because even though so far I haven’t missed a month yet when it comes to this feature, my other ‘monthly’ features aren’t that monthly) where I talk about all things art! This month I talk about my new favourite artist Zanele Muholi.

Zanele Muholi’s exhibition is the most powerful exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum right now, and I’m so happy that it’s a really big exhibition too. There are several rooms dedicated to her work, and there is so many! Her work is incredibly moving, powerful and important, so to see the museum dedicate so much room to her work is wonderful.

But who is Zanele Muholi? Muholi is a South African photographer and visual activist. Her mision is ‘to rewrite a black and queer trans visual history of South-Africa for the world to know of our resistance and existence at the height of hate crimes in SA and beyond.’ Guys, I’m ashamed to say that I had no idea what was going on in South Africa. Of course I know that there are still a lot of countries where people from the LGBTQIA+ community are treated horribly, but I’ve never heard anything about South Africa specifically, whether it’s on the news or on the internet, which means I never really thought about it. Which is horrible. We need to talk about this and spread awareness. Which is exactly what Muholi wants to do with her work.

Muholi only photographs black people from the community, and in the case of her most recent series ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ (Hail the Black Lioness), she photographs herself, capturing the multiple roles that she assumes as a black lesbian. By using a high-contrast of black and white tonal values, she exaggerates her skin tone to emhasize her ‘blackness’.

I absolutely love every piece of work I’ve seen of hers so far, but one of my favourites is definitely ‘Bester’. There are four portraits with ‘Bester’ in the title, which pay homage to her mother, Bester Muholi, who worked as a maid in a white household for 42 years. In the portraits Muholi uses everyday objects that refer to domestic chores, such as scourers and clothespins, as accessories and in hairstyles. By doing so, she creates personas that celebrate hardworking and underpaid women.

I also adore her series Brave Beauties. The majority of those who are portrayed are participants of Miss Gay beauty pageants in South Africa. The photos don’t only celebrate the body and individuality, but also the women and men brave enough to publicly take part in queer beauty pageants, thereby helping to raise awearness for the LGBTQIA+ community, despite endangering themselves in the process. The photographs are beautiful and inspiring. They’re such a joy to see.

Apart from her photos (and there are many more!), the museum also shows two documentaries. One is made by Muholi herself, the other by Human Right Watch in which Muholi talks about the violence and discrimination the South African LGBTQIA+ community faces and how she strives to give this community a face.

Muholi has documentated weddings and funerals in the LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa. The other documentary shows the wedding of Ayanda and Nhlanhla, a transgender man. With these documentaries Muholi wants to highlight the contradictions that while same-sex marriage is legal, lots of people are still raped and murdered because of her sexuality.

I don’t know if these documentaries are always part of her exhibitions, but if you have the chance to watch them I’d definitely recommend them, though do keep in mind that they can be triggering.

While the entire exhibition is incredibly powerful and moving, the end is just… I have no words. At the end of the exhibition, there’s an archive on the wall in which Muholi documented hate crimes faced by the LGBTI community between 2006 and now. It takes up pretty much the entire wall (though it’s on there in both Dutch and English, so it looks a bit bigger, but it’s still way too big). It’s heartbreaking and chilling to read and if I had been alone I definitely would’ve cried. It’s horrifying, but so so so important to know what’s happening in other countries. Zanele Muholi is an inspiration for keeping track of all the horrible things that happen in her country and not letting it get her down, for giving her community a face and fighting for her and the rest of her community in South Africa’s rights.

I’d definitely recommend to read up on and take a look at her work and go to an exhibition if you have the chance.

Oof that was hard to write. I have so many feelings for this woman, her work and this exhibition, that I didn’t know how to put it into words (thus why I’ve put off writing it so long). There’s so much more I want to say, but I just don’t know how. Have you seen her work in person? Any other important artists like her that I should know about? Let me know in the comments!

Woop I finally reached 52 Weekly Hufflepuffs! I started this feature almost two years ago, yet I only reached a year worth of weekly wrap ups now haha #isuckasablogger

I made slow progress Anne of Windy Poplars again. I am enjoying it, but it’s so long and such a slow read. Plus I miss all the old characters and none of the new ones really jump out. I also felt the sudden urge to reread Anna and the French Kiss last night, which I finished this morning. Finally, I started Heroine Complex, but I can’t really say anything about it yet. I’m not far enough yet.

Last week I said I was planning on spending more time at home, which I did! I only went to work for a bit on Friday, but other than that (and doing some grocery shopping) I spent some well-deserved time at home. The last few weeks had been so busy, I really needed to just… not go anywhere lmao. That sounds incredibly lazy but I just needed to lie around, watch some tv shows, read books, write and blog.

Since I didn’t do much, I don’t have much to share here either haha.

Wow this section was completely unnecessary

BUT THIS SECTION IS NOT UNNECESSARY YAY

LOOK

Though I changed my goal again, this time to 10.000, I’m happy with the fact that I wrote, wrote a little more than 10k and with what I wrote (which is obviously really important too). While I initially set out to write 25k, there was no way I would’ve been able too. Sure, I technically had the time or could’ve made it, but it would’ve tired me out (physically and mentally), and how would that do my writing any good?

I might share some snippets later this week depending on how I’m feeling. I just hope that I’ll be able to finish this novel this year. I’m going to need to come up with a plan haha

And that’s another wrap! I don’t have anything scheduled for this week which makes me sliiightly nervous, but I’m definitely getting an Artsy Hufflehoe up tomorrow. I mean, it’s the last day of the month. I have no choice. Anyway, I doubt I’ll disappear, but I may not post three times which is my usual minimum. If I do disappear I hope I’ll be writing haha (watch me waste my time by marathoning shows instead).

How was your week? Any great blogposts that I didn’t list here? How’s Camp NaNo, or writing in general going? Let me know in the comments!